Report On Phuket Immigration - Retirement Extension Of Stay

[Headgame]

Just got back from the Phuket Immigration Office to get me my second extension of stay based on retirement.

The process began with a quick trip to Bangkok and the Canadian Embassy on Wednesday. I delivered to the Embassy three months of bank statements and a cover letter converting my off shore pension deposits into Thai Baht. Within 30 minutes i was out the door, 1,500 Baht lighter, but with a letter from the Canadian Consul confirming my income in TH Baht, after swearing an affidavit that all info was true, etc.

This morning, I went to Phuket Immigration with my completed TM.7 / Embassy letter / passport plus copy of passport info page / copy of departure card / copy of Non-Im O visa / copies of off-shore ATM cards / 1,900 Baht fee. The Immigration Officer went and made some photocopies of something - he didn't say and I didn't ask. After 10 minutes of stamping, I was out the door with an extension of stay for another year in the Kingdom.

Efficient, friendly service - zero hassles.

[davyboy]

Well done. That's the way it should be at all offices providing all your paperwork is correct!

[Colabamumbai]

Was the three months bank deposits required by Immigration? I did the process a year ago showing one month bank deposits. Mine was not for extension it was for initial visa.

Edited May 31, 2012 by Colabamumbai

[lopburi3]

There is no requirement for change of visa/issue of visa but at extension time (less than 30 days remaining) the money must be in account 2 months for a first retirement extension of stay.

[Colabamumbai]

There is no requirement for change of visa/issue of visa but at extension time (less than 30 days remaining) the money must be in account 2 months for a first retirement extension of stay.

I thought that he may have been using the monthly method 65,000Bhat per month coming into an account, Not seasoned money.

Are you saying that for the extension I would have to show seasoned money, that I could not use the same bank statement and embassy notarization that I used to get the initial visa, 65,000 Bhat?

Edited May 31, 2012 by Colabamumbai

[lopburi3]

Sorry I misread as you had just done for initial visa change and was intending to extend rather than for second extension using the bank deposit you mentioned (as in 800k in account). You will have to show a new letter of income if that is what you are using from what OP says but will welcome his confirmation. If using both the bank deposit should not require seasoning but do not believe OP did that.

[Colabamumbai]

Sorry I misread as you had just done for initial visa change and was intending to extend rather than for second extension using the bank deposit you mentioned (as in 800k in account). You will have to show a new letter of income if that is what you are using from what OP says but will welcome his confirmation. If using both the bank deposit should not require seasoning but do not believe OP did that.

Thanks now, a number of us here in Isaan were under the impression that the same copy, printed bank statement, showing one month income method 65,000 Bhat, not a combination of both, and original embassy letter could be used 3 months later when we went for the extension. I did not get the extension as my retirement changed to Non B, with work and a work permit before the 90 day period, so I had no experience with getting the extension for one year on the retirement visa.

[lopburi3]

Actually there should not be any requirement for any bank letter if using Embassy letter of 65k per month income unless asked for supporting documents (which does not have to be in Thailand money). Only if using combination method to meet requirements would both be required.

[Headgame]

Actually there should not be any requirement for any bank letter if using Embassy letter of 65k per month income unless asked for supporting documents (which does not have to be in Thailand money). Only if using combination method to meet requirements would both be required.

I used three months of bank statements supporting a minimum monthly income of 65,000 B. My understanding is that immigration requires the preceding three months of bank statements to support the income requirement.

I asked the Embassy to use Thai Baht vs. Canadian dollars in their letter because when I obtained my first extension of stay last year, Phuket immigration said the amount needed to be in Thai Baht although they didn't hassle me on the point when the British Immigration Volunteer at the Immigration office did a conversion on the spot and wrote the amount right on the Embassy letter.

[lopburi3]

Immigration requires the Embassy letter of 65k per month income if using that method. There is no requirement for bank deposits at most locations as it is not in police order 777/2551.

[merijn]

Phuket Immigration does not require any bankbook or bank letter when you are using the 65.000 Baht income ( pension ) option to extend your retirement visa.

But in this case they ask for a copy of the front side of your Thai ATM card. ( if you have one )

This is for them some kind of confirmation that you are using a Thai bank account to take money from for a living.

Don’t ask me for the reasoning of this but TIT.

I know that this is not part of the official requirements but as you know they can ask what they want.

[NancyL]

Perhaps the item the immigration officer copied was the previous extension. I was told that's should have been part of the stack of paper I presented to Chiang Mai immigration a few months ago.

[Postmaster]

There is no requirement for change of visa/issue of visa but at extension time (less than 30 days remaining) the money must be in account 2 months for a first retirement extension of stay.

As Jomtien resident during the UK winter months am I correct in assuming that if you have 800,000 baht in a Thai Bank Account seasoned and untouched there is no requirement to go to the British Consul on Soi 5 to pay them the 2300 baht or thereabouts for the British Embassy Letter and you may go straight to Immigration for your Annual Retirement Visa renewal ? Maybe you just need the Bank Letter confirmation of cash-at-bank ? Not sure about this. Thanks

[Headgame]

Phuket Immigration does not require any bankbook or bank letter when you are using the 65.000 Baht income ( pension ) option to extend your retirement visa.

But in this case they ask for a copy of the front side of your Thai ATM card. ( if you have one )

This is for them some kind of confirmation that you are using a Thai bank account to take money from for a living.

Don’t ask me for the reasoning of this but TIT.

I know that this is not part of the official requirements but as you know they can ask what they want.

I had two bank statements - one for a Canadian bank where my Canadian pension is direct deposited every month and a Thai bank where funds are wire transferred every month. I believe the ATM card requirement is really applicable to just the Canadian bank although they took copies of both.

[Headgame]

Perhaps the item the immigration officer copied was the previous extension. I was told that's should have been part of the stack of paper I presented to Chiang Mai immigration a few months ago.

Upon reflection, I believe you are right that my previous extension was the section that the officer copied. I noticed now a fold on that page which he made before going to the copier.

[Colabamumbai]

Phuket Immigration does not require any bankbook or bank letter when you are using the 65.000 Baht income ( pension ) option to extend your retirement visa.

But in this case they ask for a copy of the front side of your Thai ATM card. ( if you have one )

This is for them some kind of confirmation that you are using a Thai bank account to take money from for a living.

Don’t ask me for the reasoning of this but TIT.

I know that this is not part of the official requirements but as you know they can ask what they want.

I had two bank statements - one for a Canadian bank where my Canadian pension is direct deposited every month and a Thai bank where funds are wire transferred every month. I believe the ATM card requirement is really applicable to just the Canadian bank although they took copies of both.

Thanks for your reply, my education in Thailand never stops.

[Darrel]

As Jomtien resident during the UK winter months am I correct in assuming that if you have 800,000 baht in a Thai Bank Account seasoned and untouched there is no requirement to go to the British Consul on Soi 5 to pay them the 2300 baht or thereabouts for the British Embassy Letter and you may go straight to Immigration for your Annual Retirement Visa renewal ? Maybe you just need the Bank Letter confirmation of cash-at-bank ?

Correct. Most bank branches here seem to know all about the letter, at least the ones near the touristy parts of town.

It will be snowing on Jomtien beach before I give 2500B to the British consulate in return for a signature.

[lopburi3]

You should have the bank letter and copies of passbook/statement if using bank account but if not using income there will be no need for Embassy visit/letter.

[xylophone]

Good to hear that you had no hassles, which was a completely different experience to mine.

The guy wanted to charge me 500 baht because I had 2 passports (1 just expiring) and when I challenged this, he said it was only a joke but proceeded to make life a misery for me. I had the bank letter and copies of the last 3 months of the bank account with the full amount in it and he asked me for more copies going back one year. When I asked why this was necessary, he suggested I didn't ask any questions but just listen to him and do as he said.

That meant I had to go back to Patong from Phuket in order to get the bank book, not bringing it with me because I believed I had everything necessary which was normally the case. I returned in the afternoon with the book and copied every page. Waited in line again and he made me go downstairs and copy other documents, sometimes twice.

In all I went downstairs to the copy shop about 5 times for various things and after he had made me jump through hoops, I was granted the extension.

He is a small runt of a guy, very dark with almost no hair or one could call it a very short crewcut and I will endeavour to steer clear of him next time, however it is not always possible I know. He has given me a hard time in the past and obviously has something against me, possibly because I refused to give him a bribe a few years ago, but then why the hell should I, because he is getting paid to do his job.

The whole situation makes me very angry and I am quite amazed at how I have managed to keep my cool. I dread going there on a yearly basis I can tell you.

[Darrel]

You should have the bank letter and copies of passbook/statement if using bank account ....

My bank did both the letter and the photocopy at the same time. I think that the letter (which was in Thai of course) actually stated that the bank was certifying the validity of the photocopy and accuracy of the passbook entries, rather than stating how much was in my account and from which date to which date, as the letter just didnt seem long enough to contain all that information. The cashier put a bank stamp on the photocopy.

[lopburi3]

All the letter needs is current account balance and number/name information. It does not have to record any transactions or history. That is what the passbook/statements are for.

[Darrel]

All the letter needs is current account balance and number/name information. It does not have to record any transactions or history. That is what the passbook/statements are for.

That's as maybe and I'm not arguing about it either way. I'm just saying what my bank actually did.

As I said, the letter appeared to be just certifying that the passbook was accurate and that the photocopy was a true one. Had they not stamped the copy they could not really issue a letter certifying this, and without such confirmation on the copy a passbook entry could of course be forged. My letter did not appear to indicate the current balance at all.

[merijn]

Phuket Immigration does not require any bankbook or bank letter when you are using the 65.000 Baht income ( pension ) option to extend your retirement visa.

But in this case they ask for a copy of the front side of your Thai ATM card. ( if you have one )

This is for them some kind of confirmation that you are using a Thai bank account to take money from for a living.

Don’t ask me for the reasoning of this but TIT.

I know that this is not part of the official requirements but as you know they can ask what they want.

I had two bank statements - one for a Canadian bank where my Canadian pension is direct deposited every month and a Thai bank where funds are wire transferred every month. I believe the ATM card requirement is really applicable to just the Canadian bank although they took copies of both.

You can only use bank statements or certificates for Thai banks and not foreign ones.

Phuket only requires the ATM card in case you use the income option and don't show any bankbook or letters.

[Headgame]

Good to hear that you had no hassles, which was a completely different experience to mine.

The guy wanted to charge me 500 baht because I had 2 passports (1 just expiring) and when I challenged this, he said it was only a joke but proceeded to make life a misery for me. I had the bank letter and copies of the last 3 months of the bank account with the full amount in it and he asked me for more copies going back one year. When I asked why this was necessary, he suggested I didn't ask any questions but just listen to him and do as he said.

That meant I had to go back to Patong from Phuket in order to get the bank book, not bringing it with me because I believed I had everything necessary which was normally the case. I returned in the afternoon with the book and copied every page. Waited in line again and he made me go downstairs and copy other documents, sometimes twice.

In all I went downstairs to the copy shop about 5 times for various things and after he had made me jump through hoops, I was granted the extension.

He is a small runt of a guy, very dark with almost no hair or one could call it a very short crewcut and I will endeavour to steer clear of him next time, however it is not always possible I know. He has given me a hard time in the past and obviously has something against me, possibly because I refused to give him a bribe a few years ago, but then why the hell should I, because he is getting paid to do his job.

The whole situation makes me very angry and I am quite amazed at how I have managed to keep my cool. I dread going there on a yearly basis I can tell you.

Sorry to hear that you had a different experience than mine. I am not being judgmental or making any recommendation but sometimes one has to adjust to the circumstances. It is difficult to apply the western template to the eastern system and at the end of the day, $15 may have made your life a lot easier. I tend to happily go with the flow.

My experiences however are tempered by 20 years of dealing (fighting) with the US immigration system to get various work permits, visas and a green card as well as immigration requirements for Belize, Ecuador and Australia. By comparison, I assure you that Thailand is a breeze.

[jshorts]

Good to hear that you had no hassles, which was a completely different experience to mine.

The guy wanted to charge me 500 baht because I had 2 passports (1 just expiring) and when I challenged this, he said it was only a joke but proceeded to make life a misery for me. I had the bank letter and copies of the last 3 months of the bank account with the full amount in it and he asked me for more copies going back one year. When I asked why this was necessary, he suggested I didn't ask any questions but just listen to him and do as he said.

That meant I had to go back to Patong from Phuket in order to get the bank book, not bringing it with me because I believed I had everything necessary which was normally the case. I returned in the afternoon with the book and copied every page. Waited in line again and he made me go downstairs and copy other documents, sometimes twice.

In all I went downstairs to the copy shop about 5 times for various things and after he had made me jump through hoops, I was granted the extension.

He is a small runt of a guy, very dark with almost no hair or one could call it a very short crewcut and I will endeavour to steer clear of him next time, however it is not always possible I know. He has given me a hard time in the past and obviously has something against me, possibly because I refused to give him a bribe a few years ago, but then why the hell should I, because he is getting paid to do his job.

The whole situation makes me very angry and I am quite amazed at how I have managed to keep my cool. I dread going there on a yearly basis I can tell you.

You asked "why?"?

Where do you think you live?

Living in Thailand I am sure that you know that Thai people don't like a very direct question like that. It might be better if you phrased it different. Perhaps something like "I would like you to teach me the reason for the extra copies." Or, something similar which elevates his standing and shows that he is respected and is in a position of authority.

On reflection if you had passed him 500B wouldn't you be a much happier (albeit poorer) Fahrang?

[hkt83100]

Good to hear that you had no hassles, which was a completely different experience to mine. [..] I dread going there on a yearly basis I can tell you.

In nine years of doing the extensions I never had a problem like you did. Normally I just get in there, having my forms downloaded from the internet and completed already. A short glimpse of the officer at the bank letter, and the stamping starts. Average time of the whole process must be somewhere in the range about 15 minutes maximum.

I usually wear long pants and a proper shirt and just do a wai to the officer. Maybe that makes a difference? A few polite words in Thai might help as well.

[chingching]

I usually wear long pants and a proper shirt and just do a wai to the officer. Maybe that makes a difference? A few polite words in Thai might help as well.

If you are much older than the officer is a wai to the officer proper? I can see where long pants are better than no pants, but a wai might seem a little pretentious . ?

[Headgame]

Good to hear that you had no hassles, which was a completely different experience to mine. [..] I dread going there on a yearly basis I can tell you.

In nine years of doing the extensions I never had a problem like you did. Normally I just get in there, having my forms downloaded from the internet and completed already. A short glimpse of the officer at the bank letter, and the stamping starts. Average time of the whole process must be somewhere in the range about 15 minutes maximum.

I usually wear long pants and a proper shirt and just do a wai to the officer. Maybe that makes a difference? A few polite words in Thai might help as well.

Obviously having your paperwork in order is always critical to a smooth visit to Immigration.

I know there has been a lot of discussion as to proper Immigration visit dress code but I think that since Phuket is such an obvious beach type location that clean and neat, decent shorts and collared shirt is more than acceptable - works for me.

I always initially adopt what I would describe as a business like, neutral attitude and then try and mold my personality to whomever I'm dealing with - friendly if they are friendly, cool and business like if they are the same. Again, works for me.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Headgame